Union Response to Pay Date Change Fiasco

Dear Members,

Earlier this month, it seemed like our members lost a week of pay because our pay date was postponed right after the Winter Holiday, and we won’t get that money back until we retire or otherwise leave the College’s employment.

In September, when the College indicated it would change the dates of pay for CCFA members, it is clear that they utterly failed to accurately convey the actual impact of this change.  Many members we’ve heard from understood that after the delay in payroll, they would receive the entire three weeks’ pay from the interim. Instead, they were shocked to find a week of salary “missing” from their paycheque—right after the holiday.

The messaging from the administration focused on the fact that “pay shall continue to be bi-weekly”—and, naturally, most members did not interpret this to mean a shift from “pay to date” to “pay in arrears.”  The College communications omitted the crucial detail that this week of pay would be withheld until the end of our terms of employment.  Not only was the explanation unclear, but in all practicality, it was a functional pay loss and many of our members were denied the ability to prepare for it adequately.  

Once paystubs were issued and members started to realize the implication of what the College had done, it was far too late. The opportunity to apply for the stop-gap loan had passed, and many of our members struggled to manage household finances appropriately.  We’ve heard that for our members who live paycheque-to-paycheque in one of the world’s most expensive cities, the consequences were devastating.

It is the responsibility of the College to accurately convey the details and implications of its decisions in their entirety to its employees (indeed, as it managed to do after the fact).  In this instance, we feel the College failed in its obligations, especially during an affordability and inflation crisis when our members are spending their under-pressure wages on their families and recovering from the busy fall term. 

Our members are paying for the College administration’s mistake in proceeding with something this significant without being absolutely sure everyone knew what would happen.  Did this cause you and your family financial hardship?  We would like to know what happened to you.  Email ac.ytlucafnusomac@tnediserp with your story.

We have three days of bargaining scheduled during Reading Break: February 21, 22, and 23.  Heavy-handed managerial edicts like this are one reason it is so important to show our solidarity during bargaining.  If you are interested in observing on any of these days, contact Kelly Pitman at ac.nusomac@namtip. We need the employer’s agreement to bring observers, so please let us know before reading week if you are interested.  

In solidarity,

Your Union Executives